Condolences sent to Portugal over forest fires

Hanoi (VNA) – President Tran Dai Quang on June 19
sent a message of condolences to his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de
Sousa over human and property losses caused by forest fires in central
Portugal.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham
Binh Minh also extended his sympathies to Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto
Santos Silva over the disaster.

The devastating forest fires broke out on June 17 in Pedrogao
Grande city, about 200km south-east of Lisbon capital city, killing at least 62
people and injuring over 60 others, five of them seriously.

The combination of high temperatures and strong winds
appeared to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fires. Portugal is suffering a severe heat
wave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in many areas.

More than 1,000 firefighters are still battling the blaze,
which spread to neighbouring regions of Castelo Branco and Coimbra on June 19.

Earlier, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa
announced three days of national mourning for the victims of the forest fires.

In 2016, many fires ravaged the country with 40 homes being
destroyed and 5,400 hectares of land burned.-VNA